Salisbury Steak
This ain't your frozen TV dinner Salisbury steak. No, ma'am. This is not the minced meat used to resemble steak. There is no soy-sauce powder, autolyzed yeast extract, lactic acid or rolled oats. Nothing here but real ground beef, eggs and fresh onions. This is how you wish pre-made, pre-packaged dinners tasted. And now I am going to share with you how to make this nostalgic dish for your family. To warm their little hearts and bodies and souls. To make them say, 'oh mom, this reminds me of the TV dinners I used to have when I was a kid. Oh, but wait, I'm still a kid, well it's good either way.' But it will be so much better and better for them. So sit down and buckle up cause here we go.
Here are the leading characters. Onion, egg, half & half (or milk), cream of mushroom soup, Worcestershire, beef broth, bread crumbs, onion soup mix and 1lb ground beef.
Throw the beef, egg, onion, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, and worcestershire sauce in a bowl and gently mix. You don't want to squish it or compact it in anyway, cause it will make the meat tough. Just use your fingertips and gently bring it together.
Divide the meat into four sections and form each into patties. Using your thumb, push an indention into the center of each one. This helps to keep the meat from swelling up like a ball but rather keep it's shape.
Heat oil in pan and add patties. When you put them in put the side closest to you in first and lay it down away from you. That way you don't get splashed with oil.
Leave them to cook for about 3-4 min then flip them when they are browned like this.
Cook on the other side for another 3-4 minutes. Then remove them to a plate and keep warm.
Add the onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup and broth. Whisk till it comes together. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and add the patties (and they're juices) back to the pan.
Keep at a simmer till the sauce reduces by 1/3 and you can smell the goodness filtering through your kitchen. Now while the patties were frying, I cut up some redskinned potatoes and boiled them in some chicken broth and salted water. Then drained them, added butter (aghast) and some half & half - mashing them till they were creamy. Of course I add salt and pepper to taste and boy howdy were they good. Not exactly good for me, but I coulda added lighter butter and 2% or skim milk, but......WHY? And if you wanted to go healthy and lean you wouldn't be wanting to eat those nasty TV dinners, now would ya?
So here it is. I plated it with those creamy mashed potatoes and green beans. Doesn't that look soooo much better then some frozen-out-of-the-box-pasty-meat-substitute? PPPPPlllleeeaaaassseeee go and make this for your kids. And tell them your horror story of the Tv dinners you used to have to eat and watch them look at you like your crazy. They do anyway, right?
Salisbury Steaks
INGREDIENTS:
1 lbs ground beef
1 envelope dry onion soup mix, divided
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons oil or shortening
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 3/4 cups beef broth
PREPARATION:
Gently but thoroughly mix beef, 3 tablespoons of soup mix, onions, crumbs, milk,egg and Worcestershire sauce. Shape into 3- 4 patties. Make sure to put an indentention in the center of each patty to help it keeps it shape as it cooks. Brown patties on both sides in skillet with oil till a crust forms. Remove patties to a plate; pour excess fat out of pan. Add remaining onion soup mix, broth and mushroom soup. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, return meat w/ juices to pan.
Cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serves 2 - 4.